Is Jordan a Safe Travel Destination in 2024: Steal My Itinerary

It’s been a long time since we’ve chatted but I am so excited to return and share an amazing experience I recently had, in the beautiful country of Jordan! I was there on my first creator tour, courtesy of the Visit Jordan Tourism Board and The Black Travel Alliance and it was literally everything I could’ve asked for and more. If you’ve ever wondered “Is Jordan a Safe Travel Destination in 2024?” I’m here to tell you, it absolutely is! Let’s get into it!

SAFETY

Jordan is definitely the travel destination I never knew I needed. When I first learned about the opportunity to go for Black Travel Alliance Creators Weekend, I had never thought about traveling there before and went in blind! Naturally, when I told my family and friends that I’d be traveling to Jordan for a week and some change, their first concern was my safety. While there is some unrest in the region, Jordan, along with the likes of Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait, is one of the safest countries in the Middle East to travel to. Our local tour guide said it best. He said, “It wouldn’t make sense to say there’s civil unrest in California so don’t go to Florida!” and the same holds true for Jordan. While there is unrest with Israel and Palestine, Jordan is thriving, at peace, and ready to welcome guests with open arms. As you would anywhere, exercise caution, be alert to what’s happening around you, take heed to travel advisories, and strongly consider hiring a reputable local tour guide who knows the ends and outs of Jordan.

HOSPITALITY

The hospitality in Jordan is like none other. Their warmth and generosity is deeply influenced by Bedouin culture and we experienced it every step of the way. One of the first things I noticed was how we were greeted with tea, fresh juice, or Arabic coffee in every place we visited. I learned that this reflects friendship and respect as Jordanians typically go out of their way to make guests feel comfortable and valued. As a foodie, I was exceptionally pleased to experience how the food plays a vital role in Jordanian hospitality. They give you ALOT OF FOOD at every meal! And I’m talking about a SPREAD! Just when you think they may be done bringing out food, think again because that was just the appetizer. Jordanian hospitality isn’t just a custom, it is their way of life. As a woman, a black woman, not only did I feel welcomed but genuinely embraced.

DRESS

Another question family and friends wanted to know was if I had to dress a certain way due to Jordan being a predominantly Muslim country and the short answer is no. While there is no law requiring women to wear head scarves and hijabs, Jordan does have a modest dress code and it is recommended that as a visitor you dress moderately as well, in respect of the culture. Our tour guide told us that if a woman in Jordan has on a head scarf it is because she wants to wear it. I would also suggest keeping shoulders, knees, midriffs and cleavage covered, especially when visiting religious sites.

Now that we’ve covered that Jordan is indeed safe to travel to, lets talk about the amazing things I did and how you should use this post as a guide when you decide to plan your own trip to the Royal Kingdom of Jordan!

DAY 1-3 (AMMAN, JORDAN):

My trip was a total of 11 days with 2 of them being to travel to and from. We flew into Amman, the capital city of Jordan, from New York City on Royal Jordanian Airlines who had pretty comfortable accommodations. Once we arrived at Queen Alia International Airport we met with our fabulous tour guide, Mahdi, who would be with us the duration of the tour. He brought us to our bus to transfer to the W, Amman, the hotel we stayed at while in Amman. The W is located in the financial district of Amman and is a pretty posh accommodation. I absolutely loved the entrance because it resembles the Siq that leads to “The Treasury” in Petra. The hotel staff were very helpful and the rooms were very comfortable, and I would wholeheartedly, recommend staying here while in Amman.

Naturally, we were all pretty pooped after an 11-hour flight but not too tired to enjoy dinner! After dropping off our bags and freshening up a bit, we met downstairs to head to dinner at Fakhreldin Restaurant. This beautiful restaurant, originally built and owned by one of the Prime Ministers of Jordan, was designed and constructed during the mid 20th century’s golden era, and over the years has also been a home to several prominent dignitaries in Jordan. Not only was the restaurant beautiful but they sure gave us a taste of the treat we’d be in for every time we would dine while in Jordan and we discovered a new love for a local drink called “lemon mint”! They gave us SO MUCH FOOD and it was all delicious!

The next day, was our first full day of exploration and I was pretty excited about it! We started the day with an Underground Amman Tour. This tour was pretty cool because we were able to walk the historic streets of Amman, while checking out the street art and listening to the personal stories of members of the local hip hop community.

Something that I learned that I found really interesting was that any painting or paraphernalia with watermelons represented the solidarity the Jordan has with Palestine. I also learned that Arabic is the language of love and language and that there are 12.3 million words. For reference the English language only has roughly 600,000.

Lunch at the Jasmine House was not only delicious, but what we did before and after lunch was unforgettable!! Nestled in Jabal Luweibdeh, Jasmine House is a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant and art gallery by Karmah Tabbaa and Muna Haddad. It’s open daily except Sundays and there you can enjoy a warm meal surrounded by captivating photographic exhibitions. There, I also did an Olive Oil tasting for the first time with Maida Extra Virgin Olive Oil. This oil is made from a blend of Arbequina, Arbosana, and Koroneiki olives that are 100% grown in Jordan. I never actually paid attention to how cooking oils smelled and now I am pleased to know how to decipher between a good and not so good olive oil.

We also did an Arabic Calligraphy workshop with the amazing Hussein Alazaat. He is a master at Arabic calligraphy and was given the distinct honor of designing the font and writings on the currency for Jordan. He was so kind and making Arabic calligraphy was fun!

After lunch we concluded our afternoon of exploring at the Amman, Citadel. This archaeological site spans several empires and has beautiful views of the Amman hills, comprising a 1700-meter wall that dates back to the Bronze Age, the iconic Temple of Hercules, and the Umayyad Palace.

I learned that all of the homes and buildings look alike because it is law that they are all built with limestone and unpainted. From there you can also catch a great view of the Roman Theater which is still used today for events, concerts, and performances.

Later that evening, before heading back to the W Amman, we had a great wine-paired dinner at JR Wine, only one of two wineries in Jordan, owned by The Haddad family. Dinner was great and of course I had to purchase a few bottles to bring home!

DAY 4 (JERASH & AJLOUN)

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we boarded our bus and took an hour drive to the Greco-Roman city of Jerash. This place was pretty cool!

One of my favorite things about traveling is the history I get to experience outside of the history book. Jerash is the largest preserved city of ruins in the world, even more so than Rome and it was so cool to see in person. Jerash lies on a plain surrounded by hills, wooded areas, and fertile basins. It came under Roman rule in 63BC and was one of the ten great Roman cities of the Decapolis League. Something interesting I learned is that bag pipes became popular in Jordan mostly due to them being introduced to Jordanian military band by British military. The ruins were ginormous and fascinating to behold. It’s no wonder Jerash is 2nd to Petra as one of the most sought after attractions to visitors in Jordan.

After Jerash, we headed to Dar Ne’meh, a non-profit institution that envisions a world where women are empowered to pursue their passions and achieve economic independence, while preserving the rich cultural heritage of their communities by serving one dish, one craft at a time.

After an amazing lunch, we painted bags and shopped.

As someone who decided to go on a week and half long trip to a country I never had on my radar, one of the things I found interesting to learn, was that Jordan is a Kingdom and with that being said, we visited Ajloun Castle after lunch, before heading back to the hotel. Ajloun Castle was built in 1184AD and played a crucial role in gaining control to counter the progress of Crusaders.

DAY 5 (MADABA, JORDAN)

On this day, we left Amman to head to my most anticipated destination, Petra! But before we got there we made several stops to check out some really cool attractions. The first being Mount Nebo. According to the Bible, this is where Moses was shown The Promise Land and where he was buried. It was amazing seeing so much of what I’ve read about in the Bible right before my eyes!

From there we traveled to a mosaics workshop and learned about the significance of Mosaics in Madaba, “the City of Mosaics”, being that mosaics depict scenes of daily life and a visual record of the regions Byzantine past.

We also stopped into St. George church which features a beautiful 6th-century Byzantine mosaic map. This is the oldest preserved mosaic map of the region showing Jerusalem and other holy sites.

Lunch at Carob House was a wonderful dining experience! It was family style and the food was delectable! This is a farm-to-table, community cafe and cultural space in Madaba. What’s special about Carob House is that it connects with fellow farmers and artisan producers who share their ethos ensuring that the food supply is consistent.

After lunch we headed to Petra and checked into our next hotel, Movenpick Resort Petra. This hotel was so lovely and the staff went above and beyond to make sure we felt welcomed and comfortable. After enjoying a dinner at our leisure, we headed to Petra by Night.

Before heading to Jordan I was most excited about seeing Petra so being able to get a sneak peek by night had me so excited. I would recommend wearing sneakers because there is quite the trek before getting to the main attraction and it’s dark so you don’t want to trip and fall.

DAY 6 (PETRA)

The day has finally arrived! Seeing Al Khazneh or “The Treasury” with my own eyes is something I looked forward to from the moment I found out I’d be traveling to Jordan! If you’re an Indian Jones fan, you may recognize it from Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade! A group of us woke up extra early to walk the 1.2km long Siq ahead of the crowd and I am so happy we did! After about 20 minutes or so, we hit the curve and saw the magical reveal of The Treasury! Getting there a little earlier allowed us to get pictures and videos with out having to worry about strangers in the background. We had it all to ourselves!

I was like a kid in a candy shop when I saw the camels so I took the opportunity to get a camel ride around The Treasury and it was the highlight of my day! Although most of us declined, walking a little further to see the Monastery is an option as well. It’s much larger than the Treasury but will take a little bit of a hike to get to. I personally, was happy with just seeing The Treasury! This trip just keeps getting better and better!

After spending half of the day exploring the Petra canyons, we made our way back to the hotel for a little rest and relaxation. Later on that evening we did a cooking class with Petra Kitchen and my foodie heart was content! We made traditional items like Baba Ghanouj, Taboulleh, Swani Dajaj, Manakeesh, and Araies to name a few! This was such a fun experience and the food turned out incredible! Araies is a new fav for me! We ate with some new friends and made a dinner together that was something to write home about! This was the perfect activity to close out our time in Petra and I can definitely see myself recreating these dishes at home!

DAY 7 (WADI RUM)

Notably the group favorite, Wadi Rum came with lots of anticipation as well, and for very good reasons! After checking out of our Movenpick Resort in Petra, we traveled about an hour and 45 minutes to Wadi Rum Desert! From the moment we got there, it was adventure!

We started our desert experience with an exhilarating 4 x 4 jeep ride through the desert to our lunch spot! We then hiked up a sand dune to discover a beautiful picnic spread in the middle of the desert! There we enjoyed Maqloubeh, an impressive upside down rice dish filled with deliciousness and it was such a delight! We also shared things we were grateful for and really took it all in. It was truly a beautiful experience.

After lunch we did some more exploring of the desert, had tea with the Bedouin residents, and watched the gorgeous sunset before heading to our bubble tents at UFO Luxotel.

I was honestly geeking out at the fact that I’d be spending the night here. Besides Petra I was uber excited about this experience. The bubble tents were cute and came equipped with everything you needed for comfort. They also provided an extra large blanket because once that sun went down it got cold!

That evening I did some stargazing, tried my hand at night photography, and went to bed early because the next morning would start off extra early!

My alarm was set for 4:30am so I could be on time to meet the group for our sunrise hot air balloon ride! Talk about another bucket list experience! It was freezing and it was early but it was so worth it because the hot air balloon ride afforded us the most gorgeous views of Wadi Rum! If this entire trip wasn’t a dream personified, this moment was it!

After the hot air balloon ride, we were able to still enjoy breakfast back at the hotel and a little free time in our personal tents before heading out to the next part of our tour!

DAY 8 (AQABA)

From desert to sea, we left Wadi Rum and headed to Aqaba, the southernmost city in Jordan, located at the Red Sea! From the Kempinski to the boat day at sea, the entire Aqaba experience was giving celebrity! The Kempinski is an absolutely gorgeous 5-star resort situated right on the Red Sea.

After check-in we had a few moments to change into some swimwear and head to our boat with Seaguard Yazan Alsaad for a day of relaxing on the water, snorkeling, and vibing! Many say that no vacay is complete without a boat day and I couldn’t agree more! We had such an amazing time on our boat ride down the Red Sea and if you plan to go to Jordan, you should definitely add this to your to do list!

By the evening we were all pretty exhausted and I have to brag on Kempinski for a moment because that bed was so incredibly comfy, I slept without moving the entire night! The next morning, we headed to breakfast in the lounge before heading out and it was another 5-star experience equipped with mimosas on deck! I highly recommend staying at Kempinski Aqaba!

DAY 9-10 (DEAD SEA)

It was sad to think about our tour of the amazing Kingdom of Jordan coming to a close but I have to say that ending it at the Dead Sea was ideal. It offered lots of relaxation after a week of hiking, climbing, and swimming! After leaving Aqaba we headed to the last destination on our Jordan tour! On the way there we saw BLACK PEOPLE! For me it was pretty exciting because I hadn’t seen any locals who looked like me the entire time we had been in Jordan! Our tour guide Mahdi told us that the Jordan valley, where we were, had the largest population of Black people referred to as Ghawranis.

On our ride we also learned a bit about the Dead Sea. The science teacher in me knew most of it but I was excited to hear it anyways. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth and with it being 10 times saltier than the ocean, nothing can survive in it besides some bacteria and fungi. Due to it’s high salinity, it is almost impossible to sink in the Dead Sea.

Here are a few tips: If you want to see the salt formations, you will more than likely have to venture out away from your hotel to a Salt Beach. They’re pretty cool to see so I definitely recommend it! Wear shoes because the salt is very sharp an it hurts to walk on it barefoot. If you’d like to get in the Dead Sea, I would recommend doing the float back at your resort or hotel who will more than likely have a private and more accessible entrance to the Dead Sea. They usually have mud to lather on too so you can get a natural spa day via the Dead Sea like I did here!

Before leaving Jordan, we made one more stop to Bethany Beyond The Jordan which is believed to be the baptism site of Jesus. It features Roman and Byzantine remains including churches and chapels, and a monastery. It can be accessed from Jordan and Israel with the very shallow Jordan River separating the two. It felt amazing to dip my hands in the Jordan River as the culmination of my trip!

Jordan was absolutely amazing! I highly recommend adding it to your travel list. There is so much to see and experience and it is a destination rich in history and eager to be discovered! Like I’ve said from the beginning, Jordan is a travel destination I never knew I needed. I definitely recommend visiting but of course do your due diligence and exercise caution when choosing a good time to visit, considering some of the unrest within the region. Honestly, it was a beautiful place and I felt safe the entire time I was there. I hope to return sooner than later with some of my friends and family because I would love for them to discover all that Jordan has to offer as well! Is Jordan on your travel to-do list? Let me know in the comments below and as always, than you so much for stopping by!

Please see video below for My Jordan travel vlog.